The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a container carrying concealed components of pump-action rifles at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, alongside cannabis-infused products with an estimated street value of N373.8 million, in what authorities described as a significant breakthrough in the fight against transnational smuggling and organised crime.

Announcing the seizures during a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the operations demonstrated the Service’s resolve to prevent Nigeria’s seaports from being exploited for the importation of illegal arms, narcotics and other prohibited items.

According to Adeniyi, the arms seizure resulted from an intelligence-led operation after Container No. TEMU 184536/9, which arrived aboard the vessel MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026, was flagged by the Service’s risk management system for detailed examination.

A comprehensive physical inspection at the Customs Enforcement Station uncovered concealed wooden crates containing knocked-down components believed to be parts of JoJeff pump-action rifles.

“The recovered components are currently undergoing technical examination and inventory to determine their exact quantity and configuration,” the Comptroller-General said.

He disclosed that investigations led to the arrest of a suspect on July 31, 2026, at the Migfo Bonded Terminal while allegedly attempting to facilitate the clearance of the container.

Adeniyi said documentary evidence, financial records and telecommunications analysis established links between the suspect and the named consignee. Investigators, he said, also traced a N10,000 payment made to a company account associated with the consignee on the day of the arrest.

He revealed that two suspects are currently in the custody of the Nigeria Customs Service and are assisting investigators, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being tracked by security agencies.

In a separate intelligence-driven operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with cannabis-infused products that had been concealed among legitimate imports, including used vehicles, power generators, polypropylene spunbond fabric, tubular batteries and thunder arrester cables.

The seized narcotics included 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies containing 8,720 pieces weighing 17.44 kilograms and valued at N308.7 million; 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies comprising 740 packs with a total weight of 515.2 kilograms valued at N40.7 million; and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies containing 442 packs weighing 309.4 kilograms with an estimated value of N24.3 million.

The Service placed the combined street value of the seized cannabis products at N373,802,640.

Describing the seizures as a major success against organised criminal networks, Adeniyi said the operations reflected the increasing sophistication of international syndicates using legitimate trade channels to traffic prohibited weapons and illicit drugs into Nigeria.

He attributed the successes to the Service’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy, enhanced risk profiling systems and sustained collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies.

“The interceptions highlight the increasing sophistication of international criminal syndicates using legitimate trade channels to traffic prohibited weapons and narcotic substances,” he said.

He added that the successful operations reaffirmed the effectiveness of the Nigeria Customs Service’s intelligence-led enforcement approach and its commitment to protecting the nation’s borders.

The Comptroller-General vowed that the Service would identify, arrest and prosecute all individuals connected to the criminal networks behind the illegal importations.

“Nigeria’s ports will never be safe havens for the trafficking of illicit weapons, narcotics or other prohibited goods,” Adeniyi declared.

He commended officers and personnel of the Tincan Island Port Command and the Customs Enforcement Unit for their professionalism and vigilance, while also acknowledging the support of partner security and law enforcement agencies.

Adeniyi reassured Nigerians that the Nigeria Customs Service would remain steadfast in safeguarding the country’s borders, facilitating legitimate trade and preventing the entry of prohibited items.

He also appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to assist ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and transnational organised crime, noting that investigations into the seizures are continuing.